Beaches of Kos Island

The most popular beach of Kos is Paradise beach, a beautiful and sandy beach where you will find sun beds, water sports and an ideal place for families with children. Agios Stefanos Beach is a well organized sandy beach, 38 km west of Kos. Elia beach is an isolated beach with scattered rocks. Ammos is a long, sandy beach, 5 km north of Kos. Kamares is a long, sandy beach, 42 km southeast of Kos. Kefalos Beach is a sandy beach located 43 kilometers southwest of the capital city and is preferred by windsurfers. Psalidi is a beach with pebbles and is located 5 km south of Kos. Approximately 8 km west of the town of Kos you will find the beach of Tigaki, a large and organized sandy beach. If you want to find a quiet beach, you should look in the west side of the island.

The Castle of the Knights of Saint John

The castle of the Knights of the Order of Saint John is situated at the entrance of Kos harbour on what used to be an island in antiquity, communicating with the inland through a bridge that one can still see even today namely the bridge of “Phoinikon" (Palm Trees) Avenue. The castle consists of two defensive precincts. The interior one has four circular towers in the corners; the south-eastern tower forms part of the exterior precinct, which is the larger one of the two, with massive bastions on the four corners, battlements and gun ports. The two precincts are separated by a large moat and communicate with a drawbridge.

The castle was built of local stone as well as parts of ancient buildings (columns, architraves, bases etc.) from the ruins of the ancient city. On the upper part of its masonry, one can see many blazons. Over the main gate' s one sees an Hellenistic frieze with masks and garlands. On the gates ceiling (the central gate, known as the Carmadino gate) there are basalt columns placed obliquely, which come probably from the early Christian basilica of Limenos. From travellers' descriptions, we know that the interior precinct was built a little before the end of the 14th century when the sultan Bayazit I 's attacks on the city were becoming more intense.

The oldest remaining part of the castle is the circular tower to the left of the draw bridge, through which the two precincKos Island - Castle Air Viewts communicate, and bears the blazons of two Grand Masters: De Lastic (1437 - 1454) and De Milly (1454 - 1461). The exterior precinct is behind the interior, its construction began in 1495 by the Grand Master D' Aubusson, continued by D' Amboise and completed by Del Carretto in 1514. On the northern side, between the two precincts, there used to be a warehouse constructed by the knights; it was restored during the Italian occupation and today is a museum, where one can see altars, sculptures and inscriptions.

Local Produce

Greek cuisine is known as some of the best food in the world. Greeks don’t eat to live but rather live to eat. On the island of Kos you can taste local produce and cuisine that has its own distinct identity. The island is rich in gastronomic tradition and due to its rich soil and microclimate, its products are unique.

Kos was well known for its rich tomato agriculture and the abundance gave rise to a production of the sweet cherry tomatoes. Glyka tou koutaliou, a.k.a. spoon sweets, are handmade sweet preserves and have traditionally been served as a gesture of hospitality. They can be made from any fruit and vegetable. Try your sweet cherry tomato with ice cream, yoghurt or alone!

For all the cheese fans out there the Krasotiri or Posa Cheese is a must. Krasi meaning wine in Greek & Tiri meaning cheese, this local cheese is a trademark of the island. It is prepared by allowing local goat cheese to mature submerged in red wine. You can order a portion next time you’re at a taverna and in some places you might find it served in a Greek salad alongside the traditional feta. Tip of the day..it goes great with watermelon or with sweet cherry tomato. While we are still on the topic of cheeses, it is worth mentioning the Katimeri. This delicious sweet/savory dessert is a fried cheese pie served with honey and sprinkled roasted sesame seeds. Absolutely recommend it!

Another unique product of Kos is the traditional beverage Kanelada. It’s made of cinnamon (kanela) and alefaskia, a local tea like herb. You can find a big variety of local and traditional products at the Municipal Market which is located in the middle of the main Square in Kos town as well as in the small village of Zia in the mountains and in many other stores and local supermarkets.

Kos is also a fine producer of local wine, thyme honey and olive oil. Keep your eyes open for our piece on local vineyards.

Hippocrates Garden

A place well worth visiting is the Ancient House Hippocrates Garden in Mastichari. The cultural centre is an exact replica of an Ancient Greek settlement in the 5th century B.C. It presents the ancient Greek way of life during the period when Hippocrates lived there.

On site you will find an ‘oikos’ Ancient Greek House made of local stone with handmade furniture that are exact replicas of ancient times. There is also a Philosopher’s Arcade which houses works of art as well as a library. There is also a Stone Theatre, an outdoor amphitheatre (80 seats) which hosts various cultural performances. All areas are open to visitors so guests can participate freely in the centre’s cultural happenings.

You will also have the opportunity to enjoy its wonderful gardens where herbs, cedar trees, fruit tree bearing trees and organic vineyards coexist in harmony. You are free to try out their products and get an insight into the biological agricultural methods that they practice.

The centre hosts seminars and is open for all artists, alternative healers and people from all cultures who wish to present their work in these wonderful surroundings. The Cultural/Art seminars 2017 will be announced shortly.

Tree of Hippocrates

Hippocrates, the Greek physician and the ‘Father of Modern Medicine’, was born on the island of Kos around the year 460 BC. It is estimated that he also studied at the Askepieion in Kos and it is well documented that he taught and practiced medicine throughout his life in many places in Greece

The Platanus tree of Hippocrates stands in front of the Castle of Knights, at the Platanus Platia (Square) in the center of Kos town. As legend has it, it is believed that Hippocrates taught his pupils the art of medicine underneath the shade of the tree.

The tree is about 500 years old and it is allegedly the descendant of the original tree which stood there 2400 years ago. The inhabitants claim that the tree was planted by Hippocrates himself. The Platanus has a crown diameter of 12 meters and a trunk diameter of 10 meters. It is considered to be the largest tree in Europe. The trunk and some branches are now hollow due to damage made from fungi and wood boring insects resulting in the need for its branches to be supported by scaffolding.

Seeds and cuttings have been donated to many establishments and countries around the world, including the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine at the Harvard Medical School, the Department of Medical Genetics at the University of Glasgow and the National Library of Medicine in the United States.

Be part of something special!

Be part of something special!

The Blue Lagoon Village is proud to have been involved with the Hellenic Red Cross these past few months. The Hellenic Red Cross took the initiative to help the environment as well as the people in need of wheelchairs.

Together with the support of corporates, schools and volunteers like us they gather plastic bottle caps to recycle in exchange for wheelchairs. We gather plastic bottle caps from water bottles, milk cartons and soft drinks.

On the 14th September 2017 , the volunteers from the Red Cross visited the Hotel to gather the plastic bottle caps that we have been collecting. The Blue Lagoon Village Management and staff together with it’s valued guests became part of something very special and we will continue to contribute to this noble cause.

Blue Lagoon Resort awarded with the Blue Flag

Blue Lagoon Resort, awarded with Blue Flag, and participation in international campaigns.

Blue Lagoon Resort, member of Blue Lagoon Group, located in Lambi, Kos, was awarded for 11 consecutive years with the Blue Flag distinction, which is an internationally recognized quality and environmental policy symbol and an international certificate for the cleanliness and organization of each beach.

At the same time the hotel voluntarily participated in two “Green Tourism” & “Environmental Protection” programs, organized by two major European organizations: Travelife & Blue Flag.

Within the framework of the general environmental policy, Blue Lagoon Resort participated in the following campaigns:

“Make Holidays Greener”, under the auspices of ABTA, in cooperation with Travelife for Hotel & Accommodations

Within the framework of these programs, the following activities took place:

Painting of trees for protection against tree disease.

Enabling children’s creativity through artistic use of recycled plastic bottles.

Planting trees & flowers by the hotels’ guests.

A painting contest for children for environmental awareness.

Beach cleaning in the broader area of Lambi.

Closing these two weeks of events, the hotel successfully organized a “Charity Day”, the proceeds of which were given to the “Red Cross” organization and to Mrs. Panayiotopoulou (chairman of the “Red Cross” in Kos).

Blue Lagoon Village Deluxe organises a beach clean

Blue Lagoon Village Deluxe participated in the Travelife campaign ‘Make Holidays Greener Month’ on the 15th September 2017 by organizing the cleaning of the beach. It was organized together with the TUI team and our guests at resort.

The project was very successful and we want to thank you all for participating and your hard work, dedication and valuable time spent for this important cause.

We appreciate your commitment and passion for the environment!

Blue Lagoon Resort takes part in Hellenic Red Cross initiative

The Blue Lagoon Resort Hotel is turning plastic bottle caps into funds for the handicapped.

The Blue Lagoon Resort, which belongs to the Blue Lagoon Group, has taken part in the initiative of the Hellenic Red Cross, to raise funds by gathering plastic bottle caps. The Hotel Management, members of staff and hotel guests came together in this effort. They collected and handed over to the members of the HRC the plastic bottle caps which will be sent for recycling.

The funds raised from this action, are used to buy wheelchairs for the handicapped residing on the island of Kos.

Greece overnight stay tax

Greece Overnight Stay Tax

From 1 January 2018, you’ll need to pay an Overnight Stay Tax (introduced by the Greek Ministry of Tourism) in your accommodation.This will be collected from you when you get to your accommodation.The tax works out between 0.50 - 4 Euros per room per night. The amount payable depends on the official rating of your accommodation, as in the table below

Type of Accommodation

Euros/per room per night

5 Star Hotels

4

4 Star Hotels

3

The amount you’ll pay is based on the official rating of the accommodation you have booked, according to the local Tourist Board classification.

When and how to pay the tax: You will be asked to pay the tax when you check-in at your accommodation, this can be paid by cash.

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Blue Lagoon Group

Welcome to the Blue Lagoon Group a group of 5-star and 4-star luxury hotels on the beautiful islands of Kos and Karpathos. The Blue Lagoon Group is in the hospitality business to provide superior service at competitive prices.>